Suction cleaner



Juhe 4, 1940. B. c. BECKER SUCTION CLEANER Filed Nov. 29, 1937 mvsm'on I Bernard C.Becl(er w 5 ATTORN EY Patented June 4, 1940 v PATENT OFFICE;

SUCTION CLEANER Bernard 0. Becker, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application November 29. 1937; 'Serial In Great Britain September 1'1; 1937 4 Claims.

This invention relates to suction cleaners-in general, and more particularly to means for controlling the operativepositions of the cleaner handle.

An object of the invention is to provide anew and improved-suction cleaner. Another object of the invention is to provide tension means for supporting the normal cleaner weight and for also urging handle control means to different operative positions. Another object of the invention is to provide tension means for counterbalancing the weight of the cleaner. .A further object is to provide 'an improved handle bail 00-" operable with the handle control means. Other objects and advantages of the invention I will become apparent from the specification and drawing, wherein:

Fig; 1 is a side elevational view of a suctioncleaner embodying the improved features, the

casing being partly broken away to illustrate the construction; o

' Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the cleaner with parts in section to illustrate thetension means for supporting the normal weight of the cleaner and to control the handle control mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Figures 1and2; and a I Fig. 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. The suction cleaner herein disclosed comprises a main casing 10 having a'nozzle ll communicating with an air passage l2 connected to a fan chamber l3 which exhausts into a filter bag I4 attached to-gthe cleaner casing .lllbymeans of bolt and nut connections l5. Within the fan chamber 13 is a'fan 9 mounted on a'motorshaft l6 which extends vertically into the motor housing '8. Disposed in the nozzle II is an agitator l1 driven by a belt 18 extending through the air' passageway l2 to a' pulley on'the motor shaft IS. The body of the cleaner is supported upon a pair of front wheels I 9 journalled on fixed rods .20 located rea'rwardly of the rear lip 2| of the nozzle II. A pair of rear wheels 22 are located forwardly of theoutIet. 23 to the filter bag l4 and are journalled on theends of a relatively short shaft 24 supported-in a rear caster assembly 25.1 v

The rear caster assembly 25 comprises "an elongated hollow beam 26 extending transversely beneath the casing Ill and is journalled for limited rocking movement on a shaft 21 supported at its outer ends by a pair of vertical arms 28, 28

- formedintegral with the bottom wall o'f-the casing 10; The beam 26 is arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line of the cleaner body and at its central portion is provided with rearwardly-and downwardly'ex'tending arms'30 for supporting the shaft 24. Enclosed within the hollow beam 26 is a plurality'of torsion springs 33, 34, 35 and 36, one-of said springs being located in each of several compartments into which thebeam is divided longitudinally by transverse webs 32. The springs are coiled around the bearing shaft 21, each having one end suitably anchored against the underside of the relatively stationary casing l0 and the other end exerting pressure upon the beam .26.at a point offset from its axis and in ,a direction to rotate the beam 26 clockwise on its supporting shaft as viewed in Figure 1, that is, in a direction to raise the rear portion of the cleaner body upwardly and to tilt the nozzle portion downwardly when the weight of the cleaner is supported bythe wheels in contact with the floor surface.

Journaled on the. beam shaft 21 exteriorly of one end of the beam 26 is a handle control lever 40. 'The torsion spring 33 has one end 4| exerting pressure upon the beam 26 as indicated in Figure 4 and its opposite end 42 is anchored in an opening 43 of the handle control lever 40. The torsion spring '33 not only acts to support the normal weight of the cleaner by exerting a force tending to rotate the caster assembly 25 in a clockwise direction 'as viewed in Figure 1, but also operates to rotate the handle control lever 40 in acounter-clockwise direction asviewed in Figure 1. Counter-clockwise movement of the handle control lever 40 is limited by means ofa member 45 secured to the underside of the main casing 10 and'having a lateral projection 46 which engages a lug 41 extending transversely fromthe handle control lever 40. v

The cleaner is provided with a handle 48 having bifurcated arms 50 and 5| pivoted to the cleaner casing 10 by means of pins 52 removably I secured to the underside of the cleaner casing by brackets 53. The bail arm 51 is provided with an extensioni55 extending below its pivot point 52 andis provided at its extreme end with a pin 5 6 for movement in an irregular slot 51 in-the 45 handle control lever 40-. The slot 51 is provided I along its upper defining edge '60 with projections 58 and 59 to control the range of movement of. the handle to different operative positions; The pin 56 is normally in contact with the upper defining edge 60 of the slot 51 due to the'fact that the torsion spring 33 at all times urges the handle control lever 40' in counter-clockwise direction. The rear end of the handle control lever 40 is provided with a flat horizontal portion 6| which extends beyond the casing l whereby the operator may step on the same to move the handle control lever 40 against the tension of the spring 33 for adjustment of the handle.

A counter-balancing spring 63 has one end connected to the bail arm 5| at a point 62 below the pivot point 52, and its opposite end is fixedly secured to a stud at the rear end of the casing l0 rearwardly of the shaft 21, that is, rearwardly of the pivotal axis of the rear wheels 22. The balancing spring 63 corrects the forward downward tilting of the cleaner nozzle, due to the suction created, since it transmits the pressure exerted by the operator on the handle to the rear end of the cleaner, thereby exerting a downward component of force on the rear wheels 22 tending to lift the nozzle I I from the surface undergoing cleaning. The spring 63 also tends to move the handle 48 to a vertical position.

The nozzle II is adjusted relatively to the surface undergoing cleaning by means of a nozzle adjusting means arranged at the opposite end of the hollow beam 26 as described in my Patent 2,177,974, filed August 23, 1937.

From the foregoing it will be perceived that the four tension members 33, 34, 35 and 36 support the normal weight of the cleaner, tending to urge the rear wheels 22 downwardly with respect to the cleaner casing II, and that the torsion spring 33 also exerts a force on the handle control lever 40 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1. In order to move the bandle to any one of its operative positions, the

operator merely-steps on the foot pedal 6| to move the lever 40 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, against the tension of the torsion spring 33, which permits the operator to move the handle to any desired position. When pressure is removed from the handle control lever 40 the torsion spring 33 moves it in counterclockwise direction to engage the pin 56 to lock the handle in an adjusted position.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a body, wheel supporting means pivotally. mounted on said body, wheels carried by said supporting means, tension means acting on said supporting means and body to support th normal cleaner weight, a handle pivoted on said cleaner and movable to different operative positions, and foot operated handle control means pivotally mounted on said cleaner and operable against said tension means to control the operative positions of said handle.

2. In a suctioncleaner, a body, wheel supporting means pivotally mounted on said body, wheels carried by said supporting means, spring means arranged about the pivotal axis of said supporting means and acting on said body and supporting means to support the normal cleaner weight, a handle pivoted on said cleaner and movable to different operative positions, and handle control means carried by said cleaner and operable against said spring means to control the operative positions of said handle.

3. In a suction cleaner, a body having a nozzle at its forward end, wheel supporting means pivotally mounted on said body toward the rear end of the latter, wheels carried by said supporting means, resilient means acting on said supporting means and body to support the normal cleaner weight, means for creating suction in said nozzle, said suction tending to pull said nozzle downwardly toward the surface undergoing cleaning and to effect a reduction in the weight supported by said resilient means, a handle pivotally mounted on said body and movable to diflerent operative positions, said handle having an extension projecting below the handle pivotal axis, and tension means connected to said handle extension below the handle pivotal axis and extending rearwardly and connected to said casing rearwardly of the pivotal axis of said supporting means for counterbalancing said downward pull of suction at said nozzle and said effect of said suction on said resilient means when the operator is propelling said cleaner by said handle.

4. In a suction cleaner, a body having a nozzle at its forward end, wheel supporting means pivotallymounted on said body toward the rear end of the latter, wheels carried by said supporting means, resilient means acting on said supporting means and body to support the normal cleaner weight, means for creating suction in said nozzle, said suction tending to pull said nozzle downwardly toward the surface undergoing cleaning and to effect a reduction in the weight supported by said resilient means, a handle pivotally mounted on said body between said nozzle and said pivotal axis of said supporting means and movable to different operative positions, and tension means connected to said handle and connected to said body rearwardly of the pivotal axis of said supporting means for counterbalancing said downward pull of suction at said nozzle and said suction eflect on said resilient means when the operator is propelling said cleaner by said handle.

' BERNARD C. BECKER. 

